Because You Live
by Avalon Storme
Summary: When Cindy recieves terrible news, will she realize that it's time to tell Jimmy the truth? And how can he help her through it all?
1. Bad News

Well, here it is, another story of mine. I would have had it on her earlier, but my computer crashed, so i've been without connection to the outside world for the past two weeks. Anyway, here it is. . . chapter one. I know it might be kind of boring, but I had to get into the story, first. Please read and review. I hope to get at least ten reviews per chapter. I think i've decided to make the characters their normal ages. Oh, and I don't own Jimmy Neutron. . . at least not legally.

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Chapter One

"What's wrong, Neutron? Are you still sulking over the fact that I actually creamed you on a test?" boasted Cindy, in her annoying high pitched voice, loud enough for the whole school to hear.

"Oh, puh-leeze, Vortex! The only reason you beat me was the fact that you could actually use your hands!" echoed Jimmy, just as loudly.

The grou standing around the arguing pair was growing increasingly larger. They stood stock still and silent as they waited to see what would happen next.

"Oh, and I suppose you're going to blame that on me!"

"Well, it was your fault, seeing as how you super-glued m arms to my sides!" retorted Jimmy, pulling them painfully free from their current positions, wondering still how his rival had managed that one.

Cindy opened her mouth as if to reply with another snide remark, but was interupted by a sickeningly familliar voice.

"Cynthia!" said her mother, as she made her way past the groups of chatting kids.

Cindy sighed. She loved her mother, but she hated it when she showed up unexpectedly, expecially at school.

"Cindy", said Ms. Vortex, as she finally reached her daughter, while wiping her hands clean of the imaginary mess that she had gotten while trudging through the groups of kids. "Did you forget that you had a doctor's appointment today?"

Cindy had forgotten. She'd been so wrapped up in her most recent heated argument with Jimmy that she hadn't even thought about it. "Sorry Mom." she said.

"Well, if we go now, we might still get there on time."

Cindy turned to follow her mother, giving Jimmy one last glare as she left. He'd expected that, but what he hadn't expected was Cindy's mom to also turn around and glare at him before leaving the school without another word. Jimmy dismissed that action, as he turned to his friends.

"Yep, I handled that well." bragged Jimmy, as he shoved book after book into his locker.

"Sure ya did, Jim." said Carl. He was always willing to back Jimmy up, even when he thought his best friend was wrong.

"Move along, people!" said Sheen, as he ushered away the crowd of students who were dissapointed that they hadn't gotten to see any more arguing. "Nothing to see here."

A few moments later, Libby joined the trio.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" she asked.

"Jimmy and Cindy just had another fight." replied Sheen, boredly.

"A real nasty one." added Carl.

"So what else is new." said Libby.

"Well, there's a new movie playing at the theater!" said Sheen, "It's supposed to be two thumbs up! Do you wanna go see it?"

"You mean with you?" asked Libby, but then noticing the hurt look on Sheen's fact, replied, "Sorry, Cindy and I were supposed to do something."

"Well, she just went to the doctor." said Sheen, his voice full of eagerness.

"Well, then. Sure, Sheen, why not?"

Sheen did a small dance as he began to leave the building, his hand laced in Libby's.

"But Sheen. . ." protested Jimmy. "I thought you were coming to the lab today to help me with some experiments."

"Sorry, I'm chillin with Libby tonight." With a sigh from Jimmy, and an eye roll from Libby, they left the building.

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Cindy sat in the back of her mother's car. Not that she would let anyone know, but Cindy was afraid to go to the doctor. It wasn't the doctor in particular that she was terrified of, but she hated needles.

After her experience with needles during Jimmy's sick patch fiasco, she'd done anything she could to stay away from them.

Cindy watched as the trees passed by. She studied her reflection in the window and realized that her nose was bleeding again. It had been doing that for almost a month. Cindy figured it was only allergies, but her mother had insisted that they go to the doctor for a check-up anyway, despite her many protests. Cindy dabbed at her nose with a tissue, as they pulled up to the hospital.

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Cindy balanced on the edge of the examination table, swinging her legs timidly back and forth. The doctor walked in and smiled.

"Relax, Cindy. This is just a routine visit. All i'll do is look you over, and draw some blood."

Cindy returned the doctor's smile. Dr. Jones was a man in his late fourties, who had a large moustache, and an air of friendliness, which Cindy greatly appreciated.

She allowed Dr. Jones to do the normal check, before drawing blood.

Cindy cringed when the needle was brought but, was relieved when the drawing caused her no pain.

Cindy relaxad, just as the doctor had suggested, and then she went home.

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The next day was a Saturday, and Cindy was home alone. Her parents had been gone the entire day, shopping. She'd been invited to go along, but lately she hadn't been feeling very well. Instead, she was in the living room watching television when the phone rang.

"Hello?" asked Cindy, as she picked up the reciever.

"Hi, Cindy?" she heard the other line, and knew immediately it was Dr. Jones.

"This is Dr. Jones. Are either of your parents home?"

"No, they're not here right now." said Cindy, growing increasingly nervous. After her other check-ups, Dr. Jones usually just stopped by to tell her everything was fine. And since he was an old family friend, that usually resulted in him staying for dinner.

"Well, could you tell them that I called? I have the results of your blood test and I'd like them to stop by the office as soon as possible."

"Sure." replied Cindy, uncertainly, as she hung up the phone without even saying goodbye.

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Cindy fidgeted with her shirt as she waited in the doctor's office. Her parents sat on either side of her with worried looks on thier faces, which wasn't making her feel much better.

Finally, the doctor walked in with a folder and sat slowly behind his desk.

"Thank you for coming." he said, as if he were hosting a party.

When no one spoke, he continued, "I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here. Well, after Cindy told me that she had been experiencing nose bleeds, I took a look at her blood sample."

Cindy's parents nodded simotaniously.

"After examining it closely, I noticed something odd."

Cindy and her parents leaned forward in their chairs.

"There has been a sudden fluxuation in the amount of your white blood cells. Now, don't panic, because the test is inconclusive, but. . ."

"What is wrong with me?" asked Cindy, her voice full of fear.

"We believe that you are experiencing the early stages of a very rare form of leukemia."

For a moment, the room was completely silent, but then Cindy spoke in an unusually low voice.

"You mean I have cancer."

"Well, like I said, the tests were inconclusive, we're not entirely sure, so we'll have to get a sample of bone marrow. And, if it is true, then you're luck that we caught it so early. There are plenty of things we can do. We'll set up an appointment with a speacialist, and of course start chemotherapy as soon as possible."

He let it sink in for a moment, before continuing. "Take as long as you'd like in here." he said, standing up. "I'm sorry." he added, as he left the room.

Cindy sat as still as gravity would allow. What had the doctor said? Something about chemotherapy and white blood cells. . .

She hadn't even payed attention to anything else the doctor had said. The only thing swirling around in her mind was Dr. Jones's earlier statement. Leukemia. She had cancer.

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So, how is it so far? I'd like to apologize for any incorrect medical things, I'm not a doctor, so I don't know much about Leukemia. One of my friends have it, but that's about it. So, if anyone would like to help me correct any thing wrong, I would appreciate it. Please review!


	2. The Stars

Well, here's the second chapter of Because You Live. I'm not attatched to the title, so if anyone has any suggestions of a better one, they'd be greatly appreciated. My sister is a huge Jesse McCartney fan, so I just used the title of one of my favorite songs of his. So, anyway, please enjoy this chapter!

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Cindy stood in front of her mirror, examining herself. It had been a month since she'd been diagnosed. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the idea that she had cancer.

It wasn't that she was in denial. The day that she had found out, she'd went home and cried. And it wasn't that she was certain the cancer was going to take her life. She knew that there was a big chance she would make it.

She was just saddened at the thought of her appearences. There wasn't a large change yet but she knew there would be soon.

Her chemotherapy had started a few weeks earlier. The doctor had warned her that it would be painful. He was right. Her body hurt most of the time, especially right after her treatment. She was also noticing changes in her appearence. Her hair was growing thinner by the day. This was one of the things that had upset her most. Cindy had always prided herself at her hair, and now she was losing it.

She stroked the blond locks fondly, remembering when it was full. To her utter dismay, yet another chunk fell out into her hands. Cindy let the hair fall onto the floor, and sighed.

She was also dropping pounds. Her clothes were becoming too large. Sure, it made her happy at the beginning, because she'd managed to shed those extra few pounds. But then, it made her sick to look at herself after a while. Cindy turned away from the full length mirror, not wanting to look any longer.

Oddly enough, no one else had noticed the changes. Cindy didn't know exactly why she had told none of her friends. She knew that they would understand and would be supportive. She also knew that she would eventually have to tell them, especially Libby.

Cindy glanced at the digital clock on her night stand and realized that it was already past midnight. She sighed and lay down on her bed, thinking. Since finding out that she had leukemia, her schoolwork hadn't been so great.

School had always been her top priority, and since her chemotherapy had began, her grades had been suffering. Because of all the pain and tiredness, she didn't have much strength, nor was she interested in studying. This, ironically, her peers had noticed, especially Jimmy.

Cindy could sense that, although he acted as if it didn't bother him, that Jimmy was worried about her.

She knew that he found it extremely annoying not to have anything even close to competition. At first, Jimmy had ignored the fact that his rival's grades were slowly slipping, from high A's to low B's.

Then, Cindy noticed that he began stealing worried glances at her during class when she failed to fling her hand up in the air at every question.

That was the only positive thing that Cindy could find under the long days spent at the doctor's office, and tons of tests that still revealed a high white blood count.

The fact that Cindy felt that Jimmy was worried about her was one of the only things that helped her through it all.

Cindy smiled for the first time in a while, as she slowly sat upon her bed. Suddenly, she felt much better.

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Across the street, Jimmy sat alone in his lab. He was finishing up an experiment that he had been working on, despite what time the clock said.

"There!" he exclaimed, as he added his finishing touch and stood up to admire his work.

Goddard, who lay in the corner barked his reply.

"Of course I know what it does, I invented it, after all." said Jimmy, "It's called the Wish Synthisizer 200. Basically, it intercepts your thought patterns, and reveals your greatest wish."

Goddard gave Jimmy a questioning look.

"Well, tomorrow is show and tell, so I wanted to bring in something good."

Goddard's screen flashed - To compete with Cindy?

"Well, no."

Goddard hadn't been expecting that, so again, he looked curiously at Jimmy.

"I don't know, boy, but I think something's wrong with her. She's been acting strange in class. Like, she doesn't even care anymore."

Goddard may have been a robot, but he could sense when Jimmy was upset or worried. This was one of those times.

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Libby Folfax lay in a deep slumber. She was startled awake when the phone rang loudly.

She fumbled with the lamp on her bedside table. Eventually, she found the switch after knocking over a few photos, including one of Sheen. By the time she picked up the reciever, she'd decided to kill whomever was on the other end.

"What do you want?" she snapped, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Libs?"

"Oh, sorry Cindy." said Libby, deciding agains killing her.

"It's fine." said Cindy.

"What are you doing calling this late? It's like one in the morning."

"I have something to tell you. It's very important."

"Well, go ahead," said Libby, yawning, "I'm listening."

"No, you have to come over."

"Right now? Can't this wait till' morning?"

"It's really important." replied Cindy.

Libby sighed. Rarely did her friend ask her for much, so she figured once couldn't hurt.

"Alright, I'll be right over."

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Cindy had always loved the stars. They always brought so many questions into her head. They always made her feel so small. . .

When she had traveled through space, she'd been able to see them much closer. In truth, she liked viewing them more from the ground.

Cindy sat in her back yard, gazing at the sky. She was at the edge of her pool, with her feet dangling in the water.

She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to tell Libby when she arrived. Perhaps she would just flat out tell her.

Cindy was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the rustling of leaves and knew that it must be Libby. Sure enough, a few moments later, her best friend appeared still wearing her pj's.

"Hey, Libs." she said, looking at her friend.

"Can you please tell me why in the world you called me at one in the morning to come over. First of all, I got a splinter in a very uncomfortable spot while sliding down my roof, and then a stray dog chased me the rest of the way here! It better be good!" said Libby, sitting beside her friend.

"Well, it isn't exactly good." said Cindy, touching the water with her bare foot. She watched the ripples form as she waited for her friend to speak.

"What's wrong?" questioned Libby, as she placed her hand on Cindy's shoulder.

"Well, last month, when I went to the doctor's office, they found something wrong with me."

Libby furrowed her brows and asked what the doctor had told her.

"Cindy looked Libby squarely in the eyes and said simply, "I have cancer."

Cindy heard Libby's breath catch in her throat.

"Oh, Cindy." replied Libby, standing up. That's all she could manage to say, in her state of shock.

To diminish the silence, Cindy continued.

"He told me that I have leukemia, a very rare kind. They're not sure how I got it. I've been on chemo for the past month. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I just didn't want anyone to worry."

Libby turned around and looked down at Cindy.

"That's what I'm here for, to worry about you."

Cindy stood, and walked towards Libby, embracing her.

"Thanks, Libs, I knew you would understand."

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review! Oh, and I'd like to say that I know I kind of strayed away from J/Cness, but just because I figured Libby needed to know before Jimmy. But don't, worry the ultimate Jimmy/Cindy moments are coming up!


	3. An Apology

Wow, thanks for the great feedback, I actually feel like a real writer! Thanks for all of the reviews. I know that I haven't updated in a while, but here it is. Please read and review!

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Chapter Three

Cindy's head rested on the palm of her hand as she forced herself to stay awake. Her eyelids began to grow heavy, and soon she felt herself slipping into unconciousness. Cindy jerked back awake, desperate to stay that way. Jimmy wasn't helping much, either. There he stood, at the front of the class, droning on about another one of his inventions. That made it even more difficult for Cindy to keep her eyes open.

Cindy knew that she could have taken the day off school, if she'd liked. School policy allowed any cancer patient a day off for chemotherapy. But, no, Cindy didn't want to get any more behind on her work than she already was. So, instead of taking a day off to recuperate, she sat in class, waiting for it to be over.

Although she was battling fatigue, Cindy was trying to listen to Jimmy's explanation. She had to admit, his latest invention sounded cool- extraordinary actually. It could basically read people's thoughts and emotions and register their greatest want. She knew what hers would be.

Of course, she would never admit any of that to Jimmy.

Cindy glanced at the clock. It was only eleven? She began to wonder if the clock was broken, the hand was moving so slowly. She sighed and put her head back upon the desk. At least it would be lunch time soon, so she could talk to Libby.

Cindy was glad that she had told Libby. Her best friend was very supportive, especially on the days when Cindy wasn't feeling to good.

After about thirty more minutes of listening Jimmy speak, it was finally time for lunch.

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"So, Cin, how are you feeling?" asked Libby, as she sat down beside Cindy at their normal table.

"Fine." she replied, in a tired tone.

"Cindy, you know that you could have taken the day off, don't you?"asked Libby. "You don't need to keep doing this to yourself. You're going to tire yourself out."

"Listen, Libs, I have to keep coming to school. If not, then everyone will figure out that something is wrong, and I can't have that happening." replied Cindy, picking through the food on her tray.

"Why not? Why can't you tell everyone. I know that they would all understand and be very supportive."

"I know that Libby. That's exactly why I can't tell them." said Cindy.

After registering the confused look on Libby's face, Cindy continued. "I can't let them know that I'm sick. I'm never sick or weak. That's just the way it is."

Libby nodded. She didn't quite agree with her best friend's logic, but she did respect Cindy enough to let the issue rest.

"Besides," continued Cindy, "I can't let Neutron know that he's a step ahead of me, now can I?"

Now, Libby knew that she had to talk.

"Maybe, you should at least tell Jimmy." she said, looking down.

"Why? Why would I want Neutron to think that I'm some sort of little girl who's sick and can't be on top of her game one hundred percent of the time. I can just imagine that!" snapped Cindy.

"I just think that he deserves to know. I mean, you two have gotten so close. . . "

"What are you talking about!" shouted Cindy. "Neutron's just a stupid show-offy butt brain, and that's all he'll ever be."

At that exact moment, Jimmy passed their table. Cindy could tell by the look on his fact that he had heard, and for some reason, it bothered him.

"And the moment for the worst timing ever goes to. . . Cindy Vortex!" said Libby, rolling her eyes.

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Cindy felt terrible, and she knew it had nothing to do with her cancer. She had really hurt Jimmy's feelings, for the first time. Maybe it was the fact that she had said it so loudly, but she had yelled at him before. . . or maybe Libby was right.

Cindy flicked off the television and sat in silence. She needed to think.

Libby had said that she and Jimmy had gotten close. . . maybe she was right. They had gotten close. . . so many times. . . but never close enough. At that thought, Cindy made a fist. It wasn't her fault, it never was. She had tried so many times to be his friend, or even more, but he'd always messed it up.

"I don't owe him an apology." said Cindy, aloud, to no one in particular. That's what the rational side of her said. But the other, more gentle side, the one that had allowed herself to get close to Jimmy said otherwise. Cindy stood up and slipped out the front door. She hated it when that side of her won.

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Jimmy once again sat in his lab. It was his favorite place to sit and think. He had no idea why what Cindy had said had bothered him so much. She'd said much worse to him before. But lately, they'd been nicer to each other, with the exeption of Cindy's now and then pranks. Of course, he knew that she only did those things to get on his nerves.

So why did it bother him so much? In the back of his mind, Jimmy knew exactly why it bothered him. Just as he was about to consider the though, a knock sounded on his clubhouse door. He knew it wasn't Sheen or Carl because they would have just walked in. It had to be someone without access to the lab. . .

"Vox, access frontal clubhouse video feed." he said, turning towards his screen. There, Cindy stood, looking at the clubhouse door. She knocked once more.

"Cindy?" he asked himself out loud. "What's she doing here?"

Jimmy debated on just whether to let Cindy in or just leave her standing there until she left. Jimmy knew that Cindy would stand there all night, though, if she had good enough reason. So, instead he let her in. In a few seconds, she walked through the door.

"Cindy? What do you want?" he asked, as if he hadn't known it was her standing there.

"Well, I was just passing, and I thought I'd say hi." she lied.

"You were just passing. . . through my back yard?" he asked.

"Yeah, so now that I've said hi, I guess I'll leave." she said.

"Okay. . ." he said uncertainly. He knew perfectly well that she hadn't been just passing.

Cindy started towards the door, but then turned back to face him.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said at lunch." she said.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "What did you say at lunch?"

"Neutron, you know exactly what I said. And, I'm sorry."

Jimmy figured he couldn't go on just pretending that he had no idea what she was talking about so instead he said, " I accept your apology."

Cindy turned to leave once more.

"Wait Cindy, before you go, I just wanted to ask you something." he said.

Cindy gave Jimmy a questioning look, but halted.

"Not that I care, but is something wrong with you? You've been slacking off in class, and I figured that something was wrong." he said.

"Nothing's wrong with me." she said, firmly, as she turned to look at him.

For the first time, Jimmy noticed that Cindy had changed. Her hair, it wasn't as full as it always had been, and her clothes hung loosely around her body. Something was definetly wrong.

"Don't lie, Vortex." he said.

"I'm not lying, and I suggest you stop accusing me, or I'll. . . " Cindy was going to finish her sentence with, 'kick your butt', but instead she felt a wave of fatigue. That had been happening lately. One minute she would be fine, but then everything would hit her all at once.

"Look, Cindy, until you tell me what's wrong, you're not leaving this lab." he demanded.

Now Cindy was mad. How dare he order her around! Despite her tiredness, she snapped back. "Oh, really, Neutron? You do know that I could kick your butt any day."

"Not today, though." he said. "You're worn out. Now, tell me what's wrong." he said, more fiercly this time.

"You want to know what's wrong with me!" she asked, knowing that eventually it would get out anyway, so what was the point? "I'm sick."

"What do you mean sick, you have a cold or something?" he asked.

"No. I mean really sick. I have cancer." Cindy pushed her way past Jimmy and made her way towards the exit.

"Wha-Cindy. . .what are you. . ." he asked, as she walked out the door. It felt as if he'd been slapped across the face.

Jimmy had expected her to yell until he let her out, but instead she'd executed a blow more powerful than any of her harsh words or threats. He should have never asked.

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well, there it was. Please review!


	4. Fault

I'd like to thank everyone for all the reviews that I've gotten, it really means a lot to me. Anyway, It's been a while since I've written, but I've been busy with school and writer's block isn't helping any. So, here it is, chapter four, please read and review!

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Cindy stirred from her quiet slumber and sat straight up in bed. She glanced around the room, watching it turn from a blurry mess, to a familliar surrounding. She streched her legs over the side of the bed until she felt the smoothness of the floor touch her bare feet. Standing, and then walking towards the bathroom, Cindy tried to avoid looking at her mirror.

As she took her usual shower, and then dried off, she felt for hair fall into her fingers, and uttered a sigh. Cindy knew that her hair was shedding fast, and something would have to be done about it. She hated the thought of wearing a wig, but it was her only option. Besides, she knew that with technology these days, she could get a wig that looked almost identical to her natural hair. Or maybe, she would get a wild new hair style, just to stir things up a bit.

Cindy dressed, and then went down stairs and sat at the kitchen table. She was glad that it was Saturday. She wouldn't have to avoid Jimmy.

She had no idea what she had been thinking when she'd told him. Perhaps she was just caught in the moment, or maybe subconciously, she knew that he needed to know. It wasn't that she regretted telling him, because she didn't. She felt much better with him knowing. It was just that he acted so strange around her. He refused to argue, even when she started it. Cindy had even tried a few times to start a good argument, and had only recieved a half-hearted retort. She hated that, really. Their relationship had always been based on a battle of wits, and now he was treating her differently.

Cindy tapped her fingers on the table and wondered where her parents were. She glanced at the clock on the wall, and realized that it was only seven in the morning. On weekends, her parents usually slept late. They wouldn't be up for hours, so she had the whole house to herself. Cindy thought about just going back to bed, but then she realized that she'd already gotten dressed for the day. Instead, she grabbed her coat, threw on a hat, and went to find some hair.

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Cindy stood at the door way of the wig store. She pulled her hat down low, and put on her sunglasses. She didn't want to be seen. At first, Cindy figured that she could just walk up to the counter, tell the guy what she wanted, and then she would be given a full head of hair. But, as she stood in front of the store, she decided it wasn't that simple. For one, she was an eleven year old kid. Most places wouldn't have taken her seriously. For another, she was worried that someone might see her.

She shrugged and walked in. Her first impression of the store was that it was just a tiny one roomed shop. A few wigs sat on plastic heads, around the room. She noticed that the person at the counter wasn't a guy, but a young woman, maybe fifteen or so. Cindy read her nametag that revealed her name to be Sarah. What surprized Cindy was the fact that she had no hair.

"Hi, Can I help you?" Sarah asked, with a warm smile.

"I was just looking. . . " said Cindy.

"Tell me if you need any help." said the girl.

Cindy was about to turn and leave the store, when she realized that she felt as if she could talk to this teen. For some odd reason, she felt like she could trust her.

"Actually," said Cindy, "I was looking for something."

"Anything in particular?" asked Sarah.

Cindy removed her hat and let Sarah examine her hair. She still had enough to cover her head, but it was extremely thin.

"I see. . . " said Sarah, as she walked towards the back of the store, and motioned for Cindy to follow.

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Jimmy shook his head. He'd been doing that a lot lately. He sat in front of his computer screen, looking over his notes.

"I just can't seem to find a proper counter balance." he muttered, aloud to himself.

Goddard whined in the corner, as he glanced at his owner.

"Oh, it's nothing, boy. I was just trying to find out how to tone down the effects of my truth serom." he said.

Goddard continued to stare. He knew that wasn't what was bothering him.

"Oh, all right, I was just thinking."

Goddard's screen flashed- ABOUT WHAT?

"Cindy. It's so weird, what's happening to her. Why her? I mean, there are so many people on this planet weaker than her." he said.

Goddard waited for further explanation.

"But, I do know why she's sick, and it's all my fault." he said, lowering his head.

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"It's alright." said Sarah. "You can ask."

"How did it happen?" asked Cindy, looking at some blonde wigs in front of her.

"I had cancer, when I was thirteen. It was some unusual kind of skin cancer. Most of the time, they can just cut the bad skin out, but not with me. They had to remove it, sure. But, I also had to go through plenty of chemo." said Sarah.

"I have leukemia. I found out a couple of months ago. My hair just started falling out. . . " said Cindy.

"I've been in remission for a year." said Sarah.

"But, I don't understand, if the cancer's gone, then why hasn't your hair grown back?" asked Cindy, placing a wig upon her head.

"It did grow back. But, while I had cancer, I met a bunch of kids who were in the same spot as me. They were still sick when I got better. So, instead of letting my hair grow out, I decided to shave it." said Sarah.

"So, you mean that you shave your head to make your friends feel better?" asked Cindy, amazed.

"That. . . " replied Sarah, " And the fact that it's much cooler in the summer time."

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Jimmy knew that it was his fault that Cindy was sick. All of those trips in space, through radiation belts. . . had caused her cancer. He knew that he should have taken precautions on their trips, but he hadn't.

Jimmy pounded his fist on they keyboard in front of him. He was going to cure her, no matter what.

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	5. By the Pool

Before I start, I'd like to comment on a comment that one of my reviewers made. They said that Leukemia wasn't caused by radiation, but cured with it. Well, although causes of Leukemia are unknown, radiation is one of the possible causes- please read the following-

**Risk Factors and the Causes of Leukemia **Though risk factors are not necessarily equated with the causes of leukemia, they may help shed some light on the disease. Some research suggests that exposure to both low-energy radiation and high-energy radiation may be causes of leukemia. Scientists are continuing to investigate whether this is fact, and if so, how it can be applied to treatment and prevention.

So, my story does make sense. For more info you can go to- http/ , that's where I recieved my info. Okay, now onto the next chapter.

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Jimmy rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and yawned. He'd been up all night, working. He stared at the blank computer screen in front of him, thinking as hard as he possible could in his state of tiredness. He needed to find a cure for cancer. Jimmy knew that it would be almost impossible to find a cure. Scientists had worked on that problem for decades and had never came up with anything.

He knew that it might not be his fault. He couldn't be 100 percent sure that it was. But, it all fit. He knew that cancer was thought to be caused by radiation.

Jimmy stood up and stretched his legs. The clock read three. He needed to get some sleep. After all, he had school in the morning. Jimmy gave his lab another once-over and then left.

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"Have you seen her. . . "

"I can't believe it. . . "

"Completely gone. . . "

Those were a few of the conversations that Jimmy heard as he walked down the hallways towards class. At school, people were always gossiping about one person or another, so he thought nothing about it as he walked into the classroom and sat down at his desk.

Libby passed by his desk and sat down quickly, with an expression on her face as if she'd seen a ghost.

"What's wrong, Libby?" he asked.

"It's Cindy. . . " she said.

An alarm went off in Jimmy's brain. Was something seriously wrong with Cindy?

"What about Cindy?" he asked, calmly.

"She. . ." started Libby, but was intterupted by the collective gasp of the room, immediately followed by a long silence.

Cindy had sauntered into the room, filled with unusual pep. Contrast to her mood lately, she seemed happy. The only think wrong with the picture was the fact that her head was covered with a bandana, and underneath she was visibly bald.

Cindy had been nervous to shave her head, but she knew it was something that needed to be done. After hearing Sarah's story, she realized that she had a lot to be thankful for. Her illness had been discovered early, she had one of the best doctors around, and most of all she had Libby and Jimmy's support. That was what had made her decide to lose all of her hair. She knew that it would all eventually fall out anyway, so why not?

Sarah had helped her. She'd grabbed a mechanical razor from the back of the counter and set Cindy in a chair in the back. Then, she just shaved it off. Cindy found it odd that Sarah would do that, since it discouraged buying wigs from the shop at which she worked. Cindy had covered her eyes through the whole thing, and had only looked at Sarah's coaxing. It felt so odd. She had run her hand over her head, and felt nothing there. But, it wasn't unpleasent. Instead, Cindy enjoyed not having her hair in her eyes.

Cindy glanced around the room at the shocked expressions she saw on the faces of her peers. She had expected the reactions to be exactly as they were. She knew people would have no idea why she had done it, since they didn't know about her leukemia. But, that was about to change.

"Claaaaaaaaaas, Cindy had an anouncement to make!" said Ms. Fowl, as she sat behind her desk, and motioned for Cindy to step up in front of the class.

Cindy stood up, with an encouraging pat from Libby, and walked to the front of the classroom.

She turned and faced the class, waiting for something to happen, though she didn't know what. She had rarely ever felt as nervous as she did at that moment. She knew that as soon as she revealed to her friends that she had cancer, she would be opening up a new doorway. Cindy might not be considered a strong girl anymore, but the sick girl. She also knew that it was worth losing that title to be able to live with the support of her friends and family.

"Well, you may have noticed. . . " said Cindy, motioning to her hair, or lack there of, "That my hair is gone."

She watched as many kids leaned forward in their desks waiting for an explaination.

"The reason for this is. . . I have cancer." she said, quickly.

She watched the many reactions around the room. Libby and Jimmy sat stationary, since they already knew. Sheen and Carl exchanged glances, and most others just chatted in hushed voices.

Cindy continued, "It's leukemia. I've had it for a while, but I didn't know how to tell everyone."

After that, she sat down in her desk, trying to ignore the stares she recieved. But, she was glad that she had told them.

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He knew that Cindy had the right to know why she had cancer. He had to tell her, and no time was like the present. He sat at his kitchen table, that afternoon, after school.

Jimmy walked towards the front door, and made his way across the street to Cindy's house. He stood on her front porch for what felt like hours before ringing the doorbell. He was unsure what exactly he would say. But, before he could decide, Cindy opened the front door.

"Neutron?" she asked.

"Uh, hi Cindy." he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure." replied Cindy, uncomfortably. She had no idea what it could be about.

Cindy followed Jimmy outside, and they sat in the back yard by the pool.

"So, could you tell me what this is about?" she asked.

"Yeah." he said.

Cindy waited for a moment, expecting him to speak. When he didn't, she cleared her throat.

"Okay, Cindy, this is what I wanted to tell you. . . I know why you have. . . cancer." he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Cindy, as she cocked her eyebrows.

"You know all of those trips into space? When we went to the moon, and Mars, and especially the trip through the Van Patten Radiation Belt." he replied, hoping that she would know what he was going to say without him actually having to finish his sentence.

"Your saying. . . that all of those trips. . . they caused this?" she asked.

Jimmy nodded. He waited for her to speak. He expected her to yell at him, or tell him that she never wanted to speak to him again. Instead, she did something very odd. She began to weep.

"I knew that I should have been more careful. . . " she said, in between sobs. Jimmy's eyes widened. She wasn't blaming him.

"It's okay." he said, unsure of what he should do next. He watched Cindy as she lowered her head in partial embarrasment, partial confusion. He put his arm around her shoulders and let her cry.

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There you go, chap. five. Please read and review.


	6. Group Therapy

Thanx for all the reviews I got fron chapter five. Here's chapter six, please read and review! I want at least ten reviews per chapter, but if you could manage more, it would be much appreciated. Well, here ya go!

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Cindy coughed. She covered her mouth and waited for the tickling sensation in the back of her throat to dissapear. When it didn't, she coughed once more, immediately followed by a line of wracking coughs. Cindy cleared her throat and glanced around the room at the people seated around her.

"Sorry, just a cold." she said.

Everyone around her just turned their heads back to the speaker and listened intently. Cindy sighed. She really disliked her therapy. The group support sessions hadn't been her idea, anyway. Her mother had suggested that she talk to a few other kids and teens in the area with cancer, and maybe it would help her. Boy, was her mother wrong.

Cindy felt that all of the people seated beside her in a half circle were from a different planet entirely. They were revealing information about themselves that she wouldn't have even told Libby. The person speaking was telling the group about her latest treatment of chemotherapy, and how it had felt. She described every detail, from going to the doctor's office to sleeping for hours on end she was so tired. Cindy didn't mind listening to it though. It made her feel like she could possible relate to them, but it also made her wonder when it would be her turn to speak.

"Cindy- why don't you speak?" asked Mrs. Granger, who was the guidance councelor, and head of the group therapy. Cindy had just realized that the girl- who she remembered was named Summer- had finished speaking.

Cindy really didn't want to speak, but she knew that even if she refused at the moment, she wold eventually have to talk anyway, so why not get it over with?

"Hi." said Cindy, standing up, as she was instructed to do. "My name is Cindy. I'm eleven years old, and I have cancer."

Everybody nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I'm not really sure what to say." she said, looking at Mrs. Granger for help.

"Anything. . . . you don't even have to talk about cancer. You can talk about school, friends, boys. . . "said Mrs. Granger, who was responded to by a fit of giggles around the room.

_Oh, brother. . . _thought Cindy. _These kids are fighting for their lives and they still get embarrased when boys are mentioned. . . _

"Okay, how about school?" asked Cindy. She opened her mouth to speak and realized that it would sound like she was bragging if she talked about her grades. She shook her head, and decided that friends would be her best bet, since there was no way she would be discussing boys with a room full of strangers.

"Friends, I guess I can talk about friends." she said.

"Go ahead, we're listening. Why don't you start off with your best friend?" urged Mrs. Granger.

"Her name's Libby. She's great, she's always there for me, especially lately." said Cindy, in one breath.

"She sounds wonderful." said Mrs. Granger. It was her job to ensure everyone that they were doing a good job at expressing themselves. "So, why don't you tell us about your other friends?"

"Why don't I give someone else a chance?" offered Cindy. She really didn't feel comfortable talking in front of those people.

"Allright. . . Denise, why don't you step up?" said Mrs. Granger.

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Cindy stepped out into the bright sunshine. She glanced around at her surroundings, and wondered which way would be the quickest to the doctor's office. Cindy really didn't like the fact that her parents couldn't drive her to her appointment. But, she knew they had other things to do. They had to work. So, instead she walked.

When she arrived at the doctor's office, she was immediately taken to the examining room, to her surprize.

"Hello, Cindy. . ." said Dr. Travis, the young doctor whom her case had been passed to, "How are you today?"

"Fine." she replied, sitting on the edge of the examination table. She knew the normal routine.

Cindy did everything the doctor told her, almost in a trance she was so used to the whole process. She wasn't due for chemo yet, so at least she could be grateful to that. Dr. Travis did take e-xrays, which he pulled up.

"Cindy, I have some good news, and bad news, which do you want first?" he asked, turning to her.

"Good, I guess." she replied.

"Well, the good news is, it seems that your cancer seems to be regressing. Honestly, it's not by much, but it has improved." he said, and smiled.

"That's great!" she exclaimed. She knew that any decrease in size was good. "Now what's the bad news?" she asked.

"Well, as you know, we exrayed your whole body, to make sure that the cancer hasn't spread." he said.

At the alarmed look on Cindy's face he continued, "Don't worry, it hasn't. It's just that I noticed some blockage in your lungs. Have you been couging lately? Experiencing any discomfort?" he asked.

Cindy remembered her coughing fit earlier that day. "Yes, actually." she admitted.

"Well, as you know, Leukemia weakens the immune system. It's a lot easier for you to get colds and things like that. But, I'm worried. From what I've studied, this doesn't just look like a cold."

"What is it?" she asked. Cindy felt like there was no worse news that she could recieve than the fac that she had cancer.

"I think you have pneumonia. Have you been outside lately, maybe at night, or without a coat?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but it's not cold out." she protested.

"It doesn't matter. You're highly supseptible at the moment. I think it's best if you stay overnight, so we can monitor you and make sure you're alright." said Dr. Travis.

"But. . ." Cindy started to protest, but was interrupted.

"I'm sorry Cindy, it's for your own good." said Dr. Travis, who left the room to inform her parents that she would be staying the night.

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review!


	7. Why

Well, here it is, Chapter Seven. And I'd like to thank a reviewer for giving me the idea for this chapter- thanx acosta pèrez josè ramiro, you'll see what I'm talking about.

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Cindy stood by a large waterfall. She could feel the small droplets of water cascade upon her, and then slide off her skin. She inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of the mountain spring. Cindy glanced to her left, to admire the large patch of wildflowers growing beside the enourmous waterfall. They were made up of so many colors that her mind could barely keep them all seperate. When, she reached down to pick one, where she pulled the flower from the stalk, another grew.

Cindy began to walk down the long path that she felt had been especially built for her. She followed the trail, before coming to a bend in the road. Cindy was unsure what to do next. She could either turn back, and go back the way she had come, or she could explore ahead. She was unsure what to do. After all, she had no idea where she was at.

Cindy's eyes fluttered open. She glanced at her surroundings, expecting to see the beautiful waterfall that she'd admired only a few moments earlier, but instead, she was met by the sight of hospital sheets, and white walls. Then, she remembered. She was in the hospital. All of the memories from the last few months came flooding back to her, rushing back in a river of thoughts. The sudden rush gave Cindy a headache.

She glanced to her left, sensing that someone else was in the room. A nurse stood beside her bed, checking her vital signs. She was a female, African American, and short. She gave off an air of attitude.

"What time is it?" asked Cindy, glancing up.

"Oh" said the nurse, clearly startled. "You're awake. Well, it's noon. You've been asleep for a good bit."

"I have to get to school!" exclaimed Cindy, throwing the covers back, and attempting to stand. All she got in return was a blood rush, and a long bout of couging.

"Sorry, you can't go anywhere. You have pneumonia. You know, it probably could have been prevented if you'd stayed inside. You can never be too sure when you have leukemia, it weakens the immune system, ya know?" asked the nurse.

Cindy wasn't listening. She lay back down as she let the nurse ramble on.

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He knew exactly what to do. Jimmy had an idea. It had been such a simple thing, too. Jimmy stared at the small bottle in front of him on the kitchen table. He had given the pills to Carl and his family before to supercharge their immune systems- and now, he could give it to Cindy, and she would get better. At least, that's what he hoped. There was only one problem though. It was a newer version of the medicine. He had never tested it out, so he had no idea what the side effects would be. He couldn't give Cindy the old version, because it wore off to quickly to do any good, and too much of it could cause serious problems.

But, he had no other choice.

Jimmy knew that he should be in school. He rarely missed a day, but he felt that Cindy's health was more important. Jimmy grabbed the bottle off of the table and raced out the door.

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Cindy stuck the plastic for deep in what she could only classify as gelatin. She hoped that's what it was. She'd never been fond of cafeteria food, but it seemed wonderful compared to the food at the hospital. She wondered how patients who'd been there a while could survive.

"Don't be pickin' at that food, young lady. You either eat it, or give it to me." said the nurse, who Cindy had learned was named Connie.

"Take it." said Cindy, motioning to the full tray in front of her.

"Okay, if that's what you want. But, I'm warning you, we're gonna have to do a spinal tap on ya in a few hours. . . so get prepared." said Connie, and she walked out.

Cindy groaned. She hated getting spinal taps.

"Oh, before I forget. . ." said Connie, peeping her head back through the door. "There's a young man here to see you." Connie raised her eyebrows, as she spoke.

A few moments later, Jimmy walked through the door, panting, as if he'd been running.

"Cindy. . . hey. . . " he gasped.

"Neutron? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" she asked.

"Can't" he said.

Cindy let Jimmy catch his breath, and then continued her questioning.

"So, why are you here?" she asked.

"I have some good news." he said, thrusting the bottle of pills from his pocket, and into her hands.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's for you. It'll build up your immune system and help you get better." he said.

"Are you serious?" she asked, examining the pills.

"Of course." he answered.

"So, do these pills have any freaky side affects that I should know about, like causing me to grow a second head?" asked Cindy.

"Okay, that's what I needed to tell you. I've never tested them. There wasn't enough time. But, they're just a more advanced version of some that I created earlier, so they should be fine."

"Well, that's just great. I can either lay in this stupid hosptal bed with cancer and pneumonia, and slowly wait to die. Or, I could take your dumb pills and die instantly. Hmm. . . what a descision." she retorted sarcastically.

Jimmy's voice took an unusually serious edge, "You're not going to die." he said.

"Geez, Neutron, it was just a joke." she said.

"Please, Cindy, just take them." he said.

"Why?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"What do you mean 'why', so you'll get better." he said.

"Why do you want me to get better?" she asked again.

"Well, because, I. . .. just. . . so that you can come back to school, and I can actually have some competition." he finally managed.

"And that's it?" she asked.

"Cindy. . . " he said, looking at her. "Yeah, that's it." he replied.

"Then, sorry, if you can't give me a better reason than that, then I'd rather stay in the hospital." she replied, tossing the bottle into his hands.

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Well, there it was, chap. 7. Please review!


	8. Surprizes

The star's shone with an intensity that Cindy had never seen before. They seemed to twinkle one at a time, and then all at once, as if they were putting on a show just for her. Too bad, she could only see them through her hospital window. Cindy lay in her bed, trying her hardest to get a better glimpse of them. She knew there was no way she was going to get out of the bed, the way she felt.

Cindy coughed. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth, but then realized that she was too tired. Besides, what was the use? She was in a hospital, everyone there was sick. Cindy glanced at the clock on the wall. It was ten after eleven, at night. She knew that sleep would be her best bet. In dreams, she could get away from everything that was happening. She could escape to a place that she wanted to be. But, with sleep came the threat of never waking up.

Cindy turned away from the window, and instead focused her attention to the small television set on the wall. She figured that looking at the stars was only torture. Because, all though going to space on all of the adventures was the reason for her sickness, it was one of the things she missed the most. If she could just go on one last adventure, defeat one last bad guy, visit one last far away place, then she would be happy.

But, she also knew when it was time to face reality. There would be no more adventures for her. She would never use her fighting skills, and brain power to thwart the attempts of a power hungry villain. Those things would be lost to her forever, and she knew it.

Cindy also wondered if she had made the right decision. Jimmy had tried to save her. He had the solution, which came in the form of a tiny pill. She knew that, allthough some of his inventions didn't work quite like they were supposed to, most did. She knew that, most likely the pills would have strenghthened her immune system, and pulled her out of the nightmare she was living. But, she also knew that if he didn't answer her question like she wanted, there was no way she would take the lifeline he offered.

Often, Cindy had wondered when would be the right moment to tell Jimmy how she felt. She had contemplated it many times. But, never more had she thought about it than when she got sick. Before, she figured that she had all of the time in the world to tell him, but then her time was snatched away. And, yet, she still hadn't told him. And she had expected him to open up to her, and let her know what he really thought.

Suddenly, Cindy felt a burst of energy, from nowhere. It was such a shock to her that she sat up in bed, hit with a sudden realization. She had to tell him, it was as simple as that. If she didn't, then there would be no going back. With her cancer had come a timer. It was as if God had gotten tired of watching them argue, and deny, that he had given her a time limit, instead. And, Cindy knew that her time was running out.

As quick as that realization had come, Cindy lept out of bed, not minding the fact that she'd ripped the IV out of her arm. Ignoring the pain, Cindy shuffled to the door. She had to get out of there, and tell him, before it was too late.

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Irony can sometimes be a cruel thing. It just so happened that it was, to Jimmy. It was strange, and ironic that he'd had the same thoughts as Cindy. He'd realized his mistake. He knew that he should have said more than he did when she asked him his motives for offering her the medicine. He was just so used to masking the truth with lies, that he'd forgotten what was going on.

So, it was ironic that, just as Cindy was leaving her room to confront Jimmy, that he was opening the door to her hospital room to talk to her. In the process, Cindy flung open the door, hitting Jimmy square on the nose.

"Sheesh, Vortex, watch where you're going!" he yelled, rubbing his nose.

"It's not my fault that you ran into the door!" she screamed back, despite the fact that she could hardly breath as it was.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked, helping him up from the floor.

"I was just coming to see you." he replied, truthfully. He had made an oath to himself that he would keep things as honest as they could be.

"Why?" she asked.

"I've got a surprize for you." he said.

"Really, what kind of surprize?" she asked.

"You'll see." replied Jimmy.

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Cindy couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was one of the most amazing things she had ever witnessed.

Cindy had been skeptical when Jimmy had told her about the surprize. But, now, she was greatful that her curious side had won in the end. She and Jimmy sat on the moon, as hard as it was to believe. Cindny knew that she shouldn't be out, with her pnuemonia, on top of cancer. It was probably one of the worst things for her, at the moment. But, allthough her immune system was probably crashing, her spirit was soaring.

Jimmy had spread out a blanket on the rock-hard surface of the moon. She found it odd that he would carry her to a place like that, but she knew there had to be something behind it, and she was right. Jimmy had set up a small telescope in front of them, also. He'd told her to look through the telescope and tell him what she saw.

"A bunch of stars." she replied, in awe.

"Yep. But, look at that star, in particular." he answered, pointing.

To Cindy, it looked like any other of the millions of stars that she was viewing.

"What about it?" she asked.

"It's yours." he said.

"What do you mean, mine?" she asked, turning to face him.

"It's yours. I bought it for you." he said, pulling out a certificate from his pocket.

Sure enough, in bold print, it stated that she had a star named for her.

Cindy was speechless. How had he known that she loved the stars so much?

"I saw you looking at them the other night, when I visited you at the hospital." he said.

"Why would you do something like this, for me?" she asked, finally.

"Do you remember the machine I built a few months ago? The one that registers thoughts and emotions to figure out what a person wants most?" he asked.

Cindy nodded, although she had no idea what it had to do with what she'd asked him.

"Well, if I were to use it on you, what would be the one thing that you want?" he asked.

Cindy thought for a moment. Then, she leaned forward slowly, and kissed him.

"Nothing, " she answered, glancing at her star in the sky, "I don't want anything more than this."

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I know, that was full of fluff, but I felt like it. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please reivew!


	9. A Moment's Notice

Thanks for all of the reviews I recieved last chapter, I hope I continue to get that many. Anyway, please read and review! Oh, and are you people as sick as I am of waiting for a new episode of Jimmy Neutron. If you are, please write a letter to

Nickelodeon

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

Tell them what you think about how they're treating Jimmy!

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Jimmy had no idea why, but the sound of the ringing phone seemed ominous. He lay in his bed that night, waiting for one of his parents to answer it. After four rings, though, he jumped out of bed and walked downstairs to answer the phone.

"Is this the Neutron residence?" asked the other end.

"Yeah." answered Jimmy, uncertainly. Why would someone be calling so late at night.

"May I speak to Jimmy? This is Mr. Vortex, and it's really important."

"This is Jimmy." he answered, wondering what it was about.

"You need to get to the hospital right away. Cindy's not doing to well, and she's asking for you." answered Mr. Vortex.

Jimmy froze.

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Jimmy.

He could hear a choking noise from the other end of the phone. He knew that Cindy's father was crying.

Jimmy let his question linger for a few moments, then decided he already knew the answer. Instead he said that he would be there.

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Cindy turned once more in her hospital bed. She glanced at the people standing around her. Her mother and father to her left, and Libby to her right. They were the people that she loved most, but it didn't keep her from hoping that Jimmy would arrive soon.

She knew that she didn't have much longer. She was just too sick, and that last trip that she'd gone on the night before had been the last straw. And although it caused her to become more sick, she was glad that she'd gone.

Cindy could hardly move. She didn't want to move. She feared that if she did move, she wouldn't be able to breath. So, instead, she lay as still as possible staring up at the faces of her loved ones. Cindy knew she had a fever, she was sweating profusely, but was extremely cold. She hated that feeling, so she tried as hard as she could to ignore it, and just focus on what was happening, otherwise.

A few moments later, Jimmy walked through the door, looking sincerely afraid. Libby gave him a knowing look, and suggested that she and Cindy's parents step out for some fresh air.

"Hey Cindy." said Jimmy, sitting in a chair beside her bed.

Cindy nodded. She didn't want to waste her precious air on speaking, no matter what she needed to say.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, immediately regretting that he had.

"I've been better." she managed to say with a tired smile.

Jimmy was unsure of what to say in reply so he was silent. After a few moments, though, it began to bother him. He had to say something.

"I've been missing you at school lately. I think Ms. Fowl is actually waiting for you to come back so we'll disrupt class a little more often, and she won't have to teach so much." said Jimmy.

"I'm not coming back." replied Cindy. Her response was so ominous, that it took Jimmy a moment to think of what to say.

"Sure you will. As soon as you get better." he said.

"Jimmy, cut the act." said Cindy, then she paused, catching her breath. "We both know that I'm not going to get better."

Jimmy lowered his head, so that he wouldn't have to look her in the eyes.

"And it' my fault." Cindy continued. "If I hadn't been so arrogant when you offered me those pills, then I would be better right now."

The only reason that Cindy hadn't asked to take the pills, was because she knew they would do no good. When he had offered them to her, they might have cured her. But , now she was too far gone to even bother.

"No, it's not your fault." answered Jimmy. "It's mine."

Cindy raised her eyebrows in question.

"If I had just told you the truth. . . then you would have taken the pills. You asked me if there was another reason for me giving them to you, and I told you that there wasn't. Well, I lied. " he said, looking up.

"What are you talking about?" asked Cindy, even though she was increasingly growing tired.

"I love you." he replied simply.

Cindy smiled weakly, as she struggled for breath. As her eyelids slowly closed, she replied, "I thought so."

Jimmy took her hand, and waited her to speak with her last breath. "I love you, too." she said.

With that, Cindy was gone. And then, Jimmy did something that he had rarely done in his short life. He cried.

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I know, that was an extremely short chapter, but I'm eager to move on. I know that you probably all hate me right now, but don't worry the story isn't over yet. I repeat, THE STORY ISN'T OVER, so don't plan on killing me yet. Just review!


	10. Do Something

Sorry that it's taken me so long to update, but my internet's been acting up lately, and I have 9 weeks tests this week. So, anyway, read and review!

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The funeral was scheduled to be that following weekend. It would be held graveside, even though the weathermen, and sky threatened rain. Cindy's parents had chosen everything that they thought Cindy would like- a slick black coffin, long stem red roses, and an arrangement of music they were sure she would have loved. Everything had been set just so, and the funeral was going to happen. Jimmy wasn't going to be there.

How could he bring himself to face the world? He hadn't been out of the house since Cindy's death. Jimmy had spent most of his time in his lab, pretending to be busy on a new invention, while secretly, he was thinking. He had sat for hours just wondering why Cindy had to be taken. There were so many other people in the world that could've gotten leukemia, and then pneumonia. But, then he had to face facts. It was his fault that she had it. He had taken her along with him on so many adventures, exposing her to the toxic powers of radiation. When those thoughts began to surface, when his mind got so jumbled that he couldn't even remember a simple equation, those were the times that he chose to sleep.

Jimmy lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He hoped that his parents had forgotten all about the funeral. To his dismay, they came in a few moments later to get him up and ready.

"I'm not going." he said, simply.

"Jimbo, I know this is really hard on you, but. . . " started Hugh, but could think of no more to say.

"I'd rather stay at home today. I have a new rocket engine that I'm trying out, and it takes six hours for it to fully charge, so I have to stay. . . " replied Jimmy. He knew it was a lame escuse, and wasn't going to get him anywhere.

"James Isaac Neutron! You get yourself out of this bed, and dressed!" demanded his mother. She hated to raise her voice to her son, but hated even more the fact that he had spent the last few days moping about.

Jimmy nodded. There was no way that he would dissobey her when she yelled.

Within a few moments, Jimmy had changed into his only suit, and was ready for a funeral that he had hoped he would never have to attend.

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". . . and with that, we bury Cynthia Aurora Vortex, today." finished up the preacher. The sky was now a dark grey, threatening rain. The large crowd of teary-eyed people began to back away from the six foot pit in which Cindy's coffin was being lowered into. Finally, it lay down on the soft dirt.

Everyone gathered around once more, each with a rose. Then, lining up, they dropped them in one by one. Jimmy made sure that he was the last in line. He didn't want anyone watching when he tossed his in. Before he did, he removed half of the petals. He had no idea why, but he felt as if he needed to carry half of the rose home with him, as if it would bring her back.

Eventually, the crowd thinned out, and only family, and a few close friends stayed behind.

Jimmy stared down at the ground, as the shiny black of the coffin dissapeared beneath a mound of dirt.

A few moments later, Jimmy felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Jimmy. We're going to head over to the Candy Bar."said Libby. "I know it sounds kind of morbid, to go there right after her funeral, but we were going to order a few milkshakes and toast her."

Jimmy could tell that Libby was trying as hard as possible not to cry. After all, Cindy had been her best friend. Now that he thought about it, it seemed as if Cindy was one of Libby's only friends.

"No thanks, I'm going to stay here." replied Jimmy. He didn't think it was such a good idea to be with a crowd at the moment.

"Come on Jimmy, " said Libby. "We all know what you're going through, because we're going through it, too. It's not going to help by just staying by yourself, okay? Just come with us."

Jimmy sighed. "Alright." he agreed.

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Jimmy immediately regretted going to the Candy Bar. They spent the whole time discussing Cindy. He knew that they had a right to, and that they should. It just seemed so weird to talk about her as if she were a distant memory.

So, he was glad when it was time to go home.

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Over the next month, Jimmy stayed at home. The only time he went out was when his parents forced him to. He even disliked school without Cindy. There was no reason to want to try hard, since she wasn't there to beat.

On one weekend after her death, Libby stopped by with Sheen and Carl. Jimmy found it odd that she would be visiting at all, since they no longer had Cindy. He had never considered Libby a good friend.

"Jimmy, we're worried about you." said Carl.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe because you've been in this house for the past month." said Sheen, recieving a gentle hit across the shoulder from Libby.

"I've been really busy. I mean, I've had a lot of stuff to work on lately. . . " he replied.

"Um, guys. . ." started Libby, "Do you mind if I talk to Jimmy in private?"

Sheen glanced up. "Hmm. . . why would my girlfriend want to talk to my best friend alone. . ."he wondered.

"Sheen! Out! Now!" said Libby. Sheen and Carl immediately left the room.

Jimmy expected Libby to tell him that he needed to go out and face the world. That everything would eventually go away, and that everyone else was going through the same thing as he. He was wrong.

"She was my best friend." she said simply. "I was the person that was closest to Cindy in the whole world. How do you think I feel?"

Jimmy opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted.

"I'm tired of it!" she said. "You need to stop moping around like your life is over. Newsflash, Jimmy, it's not. She wasn't even your girlfriend. You 'hated' each other, remember? Don't you remember how you treated her? She told me what happened. When she asked you why you wanted to save her. . . you couldn't even tell her the truth. I'm sorry that you're feeling bad, Jimmy, but you could have saved her!"

Jimmy was so taken aback by Libby's outbirst that it took him a minute to regain his composure.

He then realized that she was crying.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "It's too late now."

"You're a genius. . . figure it out." she said, and then left.

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Jimmy knew Libby was right. He could have saved her. If he'd just told her the truth then she would have lived. But, he didn't tell her, and he couldn't change that. Or could he? It was then, that Jimmy knew what he had to do.

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I know that wasn't very detailed, and it went fast, but I want to get too the end. I also know that they sounded kind of out of character, but I have no idea how they would have reacted in a situation like that. So, anyway, please review!


	11. Because You Live

Well here it is, one of the last chapters, maybe even the last. Enjoy and review!

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Time travel had always been one of Jimmy's favorite aspects of science. He loved the fact that he could reverse time, to change something, or go forward to see what was going to happen. It was also one of the scariest things that came with being a genius. He could twist fate any way he'd like.

Jimmy stared up at his Time Booth. He hadn't traveled in it but a few times, and he still hadn't gotten all of the bugs out. But, this was an emergency. He had to save Cindy.

He was uncertain whether or not he should be doing what he was about to. Jimmy had read the story of _The Monkey's Paw_ and he knew what could happen if he brought a person back to life. But, he wasn't bringing her back to life. He was going to make it so she had never died.

Jimmy had contemplated on just how far to go back. He could go all the way, and prevent Cindy from ever going on all of the adventures that they had encountered, and prevent her from ever getting cancer and pneumonia. But then, all of the memories that they had made together would no longer be there. Besides, he felt that overcoming cancer would be good for Cindy's attitude. So, instead, he decided to go back to that fateful day at the hospital, when he had lied to Cindy and sealed her fate.

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"Why do you want me to get better?" Jimmy could hear Cindy asking. He could also see himself open his mouth and spit out some lame excuse.

He had to do something, and quick, or she wouldn't take it.

Jimmy knocked on the door, and hoped that his past self would be smart enough to answer it.

"Hold on a second." said the past Jimmy, getting up and going to the door.

"What the. . . " he said, as he reached the door.

"Yes, I'm you, from the future." Jimmy said, quickly. "I don't have much time to explain. But listen, Cindy's going to die."

"She's going to what. . . .?"

"Unless you get her to take the pills. You have to convince her that it's the only way that she's going to get better." replied Jimmy.

"How am I going to do that?" asked past Jimmy.

"Just tell her the truth. Tell her that you love her, and that you couldn't bear it if she died. Tell her that's why you want her to live." Jimmy said simply, it was the only thing that he could think of to say.

"Are you sure?" his past self asked.

"Yes, now go!" urged Jimmy.

His past self nodded and walked back into the hospital room.

Jimmy watched through the screened window at the scene that was taking place. He saw himself talking, and then a very shocked expression formed on Cindy's face. He then watched as she said something, his past self's eyes widened. Then, Cindy took the pills.

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Jimmy awoke in his bed. He had no idea how he got there, but then all of his memories began to flood back. It was strange, because, even though it wasn't him that had told Cindy in the hospital how he felt, he still had the memory as if it was him. Then again, it was him. . . . Jimmy shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his head.

He would have gone straight over to Cindy's house when he returned from his trip to the past, but he had skipped ahead by a few hours by accident. The clock had read 11:30 when he had returned, so he figured sleep was his best option, and he would visit the Vortex's house the next day and see what happened.

Jimmy's plan wasn't going quite the way he wanted. He kept thinking about Cindy. If his plan had worked, he would see her again. She would be alive. That thought sent shivers down Jimmy's spine. He could take it no longer. He had to find out if his trip back in time worked.

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Jimmy strolled slowly down the street. He had no idea what he was doing. In his rush to find out if Cindy was alive, he'd forgotten that it was late at night. There was no way he would go to her house, and knock on the door. Because, if she wasn't alive, that could prove to be a morbidly awkward situation.

So, instead he just walked. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he needed to get there soon. His legs were growing increasingly tired by the second, and he needed to find a place to sit down. Then, he thought of a place where he could go. He needed to rest his legs, but he also needed to think. So, Jimmy went to the observatory.

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It was Jimmy's good fortune that stars were best viewed an night. That meant that the observatory was open, and he would have no problem getting in. Sure enough, within a few seconds, Jimmy was on his way to look through the large telescope. It wasn't the best technology around, but it was alright when he was just star gazing.

"Sorry, someone else is using it at the moment." said the guard outside the door.

"How much longer will they be?" asked Jimmy, impatiently.

"Not much longer. I guess you can go ahead and go up, if you'd like."

After giving his thanks, Jimmy walked up the stairs to the telescope.

Jimmy could tell that whoever was star gazing was really enjoying themselves. He could hear the telescope move ever so often, and audible gasps were coming from the room. Jimmy couldn't resist, he had to see who would be enjoying the telescope so much.

Although it was humanly impossible, Jimmy was sure that every part of his body was completely motionless when he peeked around the corner. He couldn't believe it! His plan had worked. There Cindy stood, with one eye looking through the telescope, the other looking down at a piece of paper she was writing on.

She looked the same as she had before she died. Some of her hair had grown back, since it had been a while since she'd taken the pills that had obviously helped her get better. Jimmy couldn't believe that she was actually alive. She was alive, and standing directly in front of him. All of the sudden, Jimmy felt self concious. What would he say to her? After what had happened in the hospital, how would he be able to face her? He had to find out.

"Cindy?" he asked, walking forward, into the room.

"Hey, Neutron, what's up?" she asked, looking from her paper to him.

"Nothing. . ." he replied cautiously. Everything seemed so normal.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I'd think you'd be at home looking through your own high-powered telescope."

"Yeah. . . " said Jimmy. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He couldn't believe that she was there, and talking so normally. After what had happened, he expected things to be different, but they weren't.

"What's your problem, Neutron? Do I have something on my face?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in question.

"No, it's just. . . ."but he couldn't think of what to say.

"Okay. . . "replied Cindy. "But, if your going to stand there, at least let me finish my paper."

Jimmy decided that he would leave. He no longer needed to think. Now that he knew Cindy was alive, there was only one more thing left to do.

Without hesitation or the tiniest bit of doubt, he kissed her. She was shocked, sure, he could tell. Her wide eyed expression was priceless.

"What was that for?" she asked, finally after a moment of silence.

"No reason." he replied, and then without another word left.

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Jimmy expected to walk home, get in his bed, and then go to sleep. His plan didn't work quite that way. Halfway down the stairs, he was stopped by Cindy.

"I know what you did." she said, catching up with him.

Jimmy gave her a confused looked, and let her finish.

"You saved me." she said. "Libby told me tonight what happened. That I died, and then you went back and time. . . and anyway, at first I didn't believe her. How could I? But then I thought about it, and it made sense. So, I just wanted to say thanks."

"You don't have to thank me. It was my fault in the first place. I was the one who didn't tell you the truth at first. . . "started Jimmy, but he was soon interrupted by Cindy.

"Shut up, Neutron." she said. "I'm ready to go home. Why don't we walk together." she suggested, taking his hand.

For the first time in a while, Cindy felt as if things were going her way. Little did she know that Jimmy was thinking the same thing.

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Well, there it was. Please review.


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